Familial Bonds
by VessaMorana
Summary: Petunia didn't hate Lily and magic as much as Dumbledore thought when he left Harry on the porch. How much will a different Dursley family upset his plans for controlling Harry? How different will Harry be?
1. Prologue

I do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters.

Summary: What if Lily and Petunia got along? What if the Dursleys didn't hate magic? What if Dumbledore was a conniving, controlling meddler without the best of intentions? How would Harry's life change?

This has been rolling around in my head for some time blocking work on other stories. So, I sat down and wrote this in about half an hour last night. It was late and I was tired; I tried to proofread it but I'm not sure how well that worked. Please point out any mistakes/problems.

Oh, and I know the Dursleys will be OOC. Since I'm changing something so fundamental to their characters in the book, canon for Harry's home life is getting defenestrated.

* * *

Dear Petunia,

This is the last letter I will be able to send you for quite some time. I really shouldn't even send this one but I did not want you to worry when you don't hear from me. The war is heating up; I feel that it will soon be over, one way or the other. It has intensified enough that James and I are finally going into hiding. Sirius has agreed to act as a diversion while Peter is the true Secret Keeper. Dumbledore will be coming this evening to cast the charm.

I fear this will not be enough, Tunia. Peter is a weak man and has been acting increasingly nervous though James is convinced it's only my imagination. I would feel much more comfortable if Remus or Sirius were the Secret Keeper but Sirius swears that he is too obvious and Dumbledore is persuaded that Remus' condition will drive him to support the Death Eaters.

You should be safe at least. I've made sure never to mention you and while it is well-known that I am a muggleborn, very few are in a position to find out whether I am an only child. Those who already knew of you, I, well I suppose "convinced" is the best word after all, convinced you died in the same accident that killed our parents. James and Dumbledore know the truth but only James knows that I correspond regularly with you.

I suppose I should get to the point of this letter. I'm very uneasy. Dumbledore has become obsessed with a prophesy that he swears tells of the end of the war though he refuses to tell us the whole prophesy. More than that, he is certain that it is Harry who will destroy the Dark Lord! The very idea is ludicrous but I am frightened to think of what Dumbledore might do to force it to fruition. I can no longer trust Harry's safety to him.

I have taken steps to protect Harry. I had been researching ancient magics in an attempt to find something that could be used against the Death Eaters but I changed focus once I learned about the prophesy. Many of the protection spells have precise requirements but I will have time to fulfill them once we're in hiding. As a precaution, I'm sending you a copy of my research though I sincerely hope it will be redundant. Part of the protection is that if anything happens to James and me, whoever takes Harry will feel compelled to leave him with you. With luck, Sirius, Remus, and Peter will be able to help raise Harry but I know you will be able to handle the task regardless.

Give my love to Vernon and Dudley. I hope I will be able to see all of you soon.

Your Loving Sister,

Lily

* * *

Like I said, this has been rolling around in my head but just this part and enough for part of a first chapter. If you have any suggestions or something you'd like to see, please review and mention them. Following chapters will be longer. And someone _please _suggest a better title.


	2. Chapter 1

_Dearest Lily,_

_You'll never guess! Vernon has proposed! I hardly know what to do I'm so excited. Obviously, our engagement will be several months since I refuse to get married without family present and I haven't counted those second cousins we have on Papa's side as family since what they did at the funeral. I was thinking our wedding would be in August so you could help me organize it and Vernon is amenable to the idea. Luckily, his sister Marge is unmarried since she would insist on "instructing me" and I shudder to think what the wedding would be like then. Oh Lily, I hope…_

*****

The morning was still and cool when Petunia Dursley prepared to go on her morning constitutional. It was early enough that Vernon did not yet have to get ready for work so she was quite happy to leave Dudley in his crib sound asleep. She loved the little darling dearly but she couldn't help but treasure the peace and quiet that came with what she had claimed as her "me-time". Besides, it was good for Vernon to take care of Dudley in the morning; it greatly strengthened the father-son bond and prevented the type of stiff, remote relationship Vernon had with his own father.

When Petunia opened the door, she almost tripped over something on the step. When she realized exactly what that something was, her shriek threatened to wake the neighborhood. It did wake the infant asleep in the basket on the step who let out a cry of his own. The sound broke Petunia out of her shock and she quickly scooped up the baby to comfort him.

"Pet, what's wrong? What's happened?" Vernon had almost levitated out of bed and had flown down the stairs to go to his wife's aid when he had heard her scream. He was in no way prepared for the sight of Petunia bouncing a baby in her arms, cooing at him.

"Oh, Vernon! I'm sorry if I woke you. Be a dear and grab the basket. Maybe there'll be a hint as to who this sweetie is and what he was left on our doorstop of all places. You'd think if someone was abandoning a baby they'd look for a hospital or a church." She gave an indignant sniff. "We could be serial killers for all they know."

Shocked by both Petunia's words and the sight of a baby in her arms who was undeniably not Dudley, there was little he could do but follow her directions and follow her into the house to the kitchen. As his befuddlement eased, he moved the blankets in the basket around in hopes of finding some sort of id for the little tyke. He froze when his fingers brushed what felt like heavy parchment. Vernon knew that parchment almost always meant wizards but the only magical family who knew him and Petunia… He peered at the baby boy peeking up from just above Petunia's shoulder. Startlingly green eyes met his and he inadvertently let out a gasp.

"What is it dear? Is there a note?" Petunia didn't pause in her one-armed preparation of a bottle of milk. Luckily, she had plenty of practice due to Dudley's habits.

"Is that… could it be… Harry?"

"Don't be ridiculous!" Though her movements stayed gentle, her voice was sharp. "Just because this baby has a passing resemblance is no reason to jump to conclusions. Even if Lily and James let Harry out of their sight despite all the danger they're in, do you truly think that they would leave him unattended on a doorstep on a cold night? If I remember what Lily told me correctly, warming charms have to constantly be renewed. It is not Harry." Her tone was adamant but Vernon could detect just the slightest quiver of fear. He realized that she had already comprehended the possibility. He knew their trepidation could be ameliorated by reading the latter but he feared Petunia's reaction if it confirmed his barely-voiced suspicions. Steeling himself, he finally opened the letter.

'_Dursley_

_Voldemort finally succeeded in killing Lily and James. Harry survived. For your own well-being, provide hearth room until his majority. The wards I have placed depend on it. Without them, Death Eaters will find and, no doubt, kill you._

_Albus Dumbledore_

"Petunia, sit down please. You know the baby is Harry and this letter just confirms it," Vernon choked out, his eyes blurring with tears he refused to let fall. He had to be strong for Petunia. "I'll call in to work; they can do without me for a few days."

Petunia groped almost blindly for a chair before sinking gratefully into it. Her arms tightened around her nephew as if she could retroactively protect him from what must have occurred. His soft cry made her start before loosening her grip and returning his bottle to him. Her mind felt numb, frozen, as if by refusing to grasp her husband's words, they would not be true. Another cry, this time from upstairs, had her struggling to her feet. Vernon beat her to it. After somewhat awkwardly pushing her back into her chair he left to get Dudley ready for the day.

Petunia sat mechanically holding Harry, her mind slowly thawing from the frozen state it had entered. She almost wished it wouldn't as her thoughts began to race. She and Lily had put safeguards in place in case the worst happened but actually implementing their plans would not be easy. Luckily, the hardest parts were already taken care of. The Ministry of Magic, as much as the top officials wanted to ignore the fact, was under the authority of the British crown and, as such, all official documents such as birth and death certificates were filed for the magical community just as they were for the muggle one. Documents such as wills were, of course, meticulously edited. Lily had carefully (and legally) charmed copies of both Lily and James' death certificates and muggle versions of their wills to appear in the Dursleys' safe. This was done so Petunia could do all the necessary paperwork without getting the notice of the magical world in the slightest. However, that still left the muggle bureaucracy with which to deal.

Vernon interrupted her frantic musings by carrying Dudley down the stairs. Dudley, who was quite proud of being a big boy and felt he could dress himself and climb down the stairs without help, was very put-out. He completely forgot his ire, however, when he caught sight of another boy sitting in his mother's lap. A considering look covered his face; he was obviously trying to decide whether to object to this intruder or view the intruder as a baby who needed to sit in a lap instead of being a big boy like he was. This argument would have been more convincing if he did not still enjoy sitting in his mother's lap. Before he could come to a decision, Vernon sat down, pulling Dudley into his lap and Petunia spoke.

"Dudley, this is your cousin Harry. His mummy was my sister. His mummy and daddy can't be here anymore so he'll be staying with us. It'll be just like having a brother. You'll have to share daddy and me but you'll have a playmate."

"Same to you Harry," Vernon continued. "I know you'll miss your mummy and daddy but I'm sure you'll have fun playing with Dudley. And your Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon, that's me, will look after you like your mummy and daddy wanted."

By the time Petunia and Vernon were finished talking, Dudley had come to the conclusion, with as much thought as a sixteen-month old could put into any subject, that sharing his parents would be worth it for a playmate who couldn't be taken away. Harry just hid his face in Petunia's shoulder.

* * *

A.N. I'm very sorry it took so long for me to update this. RL was impossible this summer and it took me awhile to regain motivation. Thanks to everyone who reviewed or put me or my story on their alert list; it reminded me that people were reading and enjoying my story. Hopefully this chapter at least somewhat makes up for the wait. I've already gotten the next chapter partially planned out in my head and I will do my best to not leave such a long wait. Oh, and someone asked me about pairings and slash. This story will be gen as in no pairings - no het and no slash for Harry in this story.


	3. Chapter 2

_Dear Lily,_

_I'm sorry. Losing Mum and Papa has made me think. I realized that my treatment of you could have made me lose my sister too. I know I should have told you in person this summer but I didn't want you to think it was simply because of the feelings and stress stirred up from the funerals and dealing with the estate. And a bit of cowardice on my part if I'm being totally honest. It's much easier to get out the words when one isn't looking at the person wronged. I deeply regret that I allowed petty jealousy to overcome the bond we had before and I hope we can have again…_

* * * *

After getting both boys fed and ready to face the day, Petunia and Vernon shifted their discussion to their living room. Dudley immediately began squirming to get down to his toys which Vernon allowed after a quick visual check to verify that nothing that could be destroyed by inquisitive infant hands would be in Dudley's reach. Petunia, when she noticed how Harry perked up with interest watching Dudley toddle towards his blocks reluctantly let him slip from her grasp to land gently on the floor.

"I called into work before bringing Dudley down," Vernon murmured softly. "They said to take the rest of the week off and to call if I needed more time."

"Good. That's good," Petunia trailed off. Her gaze never left the two boys playing on the floor. Harry had crawled over to Dudley who was gleefully babbling in baby talk while gesturing wildly with and at the blocks. She had to smile when Dudley rather emphatically pushed a block over to Harry; he was obviously expecting the younger infant to participate in his games.

"We'll have to file all the proper forms today. The members of the Magical World is probably to busy celebrating or trying to cover up their activities but soon some of them will think about the political power Harry can give them. Caring for the orphan child of the people who gave their lives to defeat Voldemort? That's a good way for Voldemort sympathizers to get back into the good graces of the Magical World. We have to make sure we have guardianship before any one starts to plot." Vernon started listing what he knew they needed to accomplish that day. "From what I recall James saying, I don't have much faith that any rich Death Eaters will stay behind bars for long and I doubt any of them will even be put on their version of probation. We'll have to have everything settled before they can bribe their way out of jail."

"I'll do that, I mean file all the paperwork. Lily and I went over it as a precaution. I know all the forms necessary to ensure duplicates are automatically filed in the correct Magical Department. Their magic works against them; no one will need to handle the papers to file them and since it involves a minor, they need a special dispensation to unseal the records. Lily said it would be different if Harry was a muggleborn or if we didn't already know about magic but we're safe on that front." Petunia never took her eyes of the boys but did reach over and grasped Vernon's hand. He, in turn, wove their fingers together before lifting her hand to his lips for a soft kiss.

"Do you need Harry with you?"

"Oh no! That's the last thing I need," Petunia replied vehemently. "I'll be filling out forms all day and dealing with bureaucratic red tape. I can't imagine forcing a baby to accompany me with all that stress."

"I see you point," Vernon conceded. "In that case, I'll take both boys to buy the necessary bedding for Harry. After all, we aren't exactly equipped for another baby."

"Oh!" Petunia straightened with a jerk. "I didn't even think of that!" She gave a slight sound of distress.

Vernon interrupted her before she could begin to recriminate herself. "You've got enough on your mind already; between the two of us, we'll muddle through."

* * *

Two hours later, Petunia and Vernon left on their separate ways after bundling the boys up; Harry was wrapped up with some of Dudley's extra clothes. Vernon carefully reassured Petunia that he would be able to handle both boys. She, in turn, reassured him that she had all the necessary papers with extra copies at that and she was perfectly fine to take the train.

As Vernon pulled out of the driveway, he blessed his neighbors down the street who were willing to lend the Dursleys an extra car seat. He glanced in the rearview mirror and smiled at the image that greeted him. Both boys, though securely strapped in and barely able to see around the sides of the car seats, were babbling at each other, clearly communicating on behalf of the stuffed toy animals they each held. Vernon couldn't have been happier at their preoccupation as he navigated through traffic and kept one ear out for the change in the happy chatter that could provide forewarning for any potential screaming fits.

Reaching the baby depot store, Vernon was greeted with a quandary that Petunia and he had not considered. With Harry, the single seater stroller they had for Dudley was not enough. Vernon stood there next to the open car in the parking lot, the stroller folded out beside him, starring at the two boys in the back seat, his mind blank. He let out a quiet expletive then winced when Dudley cheered and clapped his hands; Petunia would kill him if she knew Dudley had heard him curse often enough to not only recognize the words but to laugh in response.

After standing there thinking for some time, Vernon admitted to himself that the current stroller was not going to automatically expand to fit his needs and he was going to have to carry one of the boys until he bought a two seater stroller. Hoping Harry wasn't the wiggler Dudley was, Vernon quickly unstrapped Dudley from the child seat then, before Dudley had a chance to realize that he was unrestrained, tied him into the stroller. After loading the diaper bag onto the back of the stroller, he freed Harry from his child seat. After locking the car, he girded himself and entered the store.

"Welcome! How may I help you?" A cheery salesgirl seemed to teleport to the entrance in order to ambush them as he walked in the door.

"Err, yes, um, stroller." Vernon stammered slightly as he leaned away from the chirpiness that had to be drug induced. As the bouncy girl led him away, Vernon gave a mental shrug; if he had to brave the horror of a baby store, he could at least get the salesperson to do all the work.

* * *

That afternoon, after both Vernon and Petunia had returned from their respective expeditions, they agreed to discuss their new situation before it got any later in the day. While Vernon watched the boys and attempted to set up the larger playpen the enterprising salesgirl had sold him, Petunia prepared tea. After carefully picking up fully loaded the tea try, she arrived in the living room in time to see Vernon triumphantly placing first Dudley then Harry into the assembled playpen then frantically tossing in some toys as well as Dudley screwed up his face to cry. Vernon's sigh of relief as Dudley subsided and turned to amuse himself forced a smile onto her face.

When Vernon saw her placing the tray on the sitting room table next to the legal papers she had left there earlier, he quickly moved to join her on the couch. He gave a slight groan of relaxation as he sank into the cushions; this couch was build for comfort, not show, which was why they always had their discomfiting conversations while sitting on it. Petunia added to the sense of comfort when she poured two cups of tea, then handed one to him and kept the other for herself. They both paused for a moment to let the warmth seep through the porcelain into their hands.

"Well, I suppose first things first. The papers for guardianship were filed without a problem. We've been assigned a social worker at the CPS who can do magic. Her name is Eleanor Buchanan. She's who we're supposed to call if Harry does something unexplainable though she suggested always waiting to see what rationalization any witnesses will come up with on their own. Apparently, sometimes people do such a good job explaining away the magic that Obliviators aren't at all necessary," stated Petunia.

"I assume from your calm manner, we don't have to worry about her telling Dumbledore anything."

"The CPS is considered a muggle department; even the magical members are bound by the same laws of confidentiality as the muggle social workers. Even if something were to happen, Dumbledore still wouldn't be notified. After all, Harry doesn't attend Hogwarts yet so he has so say as headmaster and as Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, he wouldn't be informed of a single under age incident which is all we should need Ms Buchanan for. Besides, when the woman took the job, she magically swore to uphold the laws protecting children to the best of her abilities. Part of that oath includes a bit about confidentiality and releasing information about a minor." Petunia continued, "Oh, she's also helped me set up to get the muggle safe version of the Daily Prophet. We should be aware of that world for when Harry goes off to school."

"Well, it seems like you accomplished quite a lot," Vernon complimented Petunia happily. She smiled in response. "I was a little less successful though I managed to get a double stroller and a crib will be delivered tomorrow. I picked up a coat and basic clothes too. Should give us a little breathing room. Do we know what happened to all his clothes and toys?"

Petunia paused mid-sip. After setting her teacup back on its saucer, she spoke. "No, that was never mentioned. Well, I suppose we'll have to contact Ms Buchanan sooner than I had thought."

A sudden, shrill screech made them jump up in alarm then relax when a laugh followed it. Dudley and Harry were gleefully whacking each other over the head with some of Dudley's soft, squishy plushies. Vernon settled back into the couch and wrapped an arm around Petunia's shoulders as they observed the two infants. Dudley and Harry, bored surprisingly quickly of their whacking game, were turning to other toys of Dudley's. Watching Harry happily chew on one of the alphabet blocks made another smile blossom on Petunia's face.

"Let's worry about the details tomorrow," Vernon murmured quietly. "We can just celebrate Harry's survival today."

Petunia's smile turned sad. "That sounds good to me."

* * *

I'm sorry I took so long; all I can say it that I work retail so holiday and after holiday sale craziness goes from Thanksgiving to last week. Everyone's reviews did keep me motivated to write whenever I could so thank you. Your reviews always make me happy.

For the next chapter, I'm not quite sure what I want to do. I can either do snapshots of three or four instances in Harry's life or I can pick an age and do a chapter of Harry's life at that age. If you have an opinion, review and let me know. The chapter after that will be the letter and start of Hogwarts.


	4. Chapter 3

_Petunia, promise me you'll be careful. The war is heating up and you're a prime target as the sister of a muggleborn, especially since James refused Voldemort's "invitation" to join. I've done everything I can to make sure no one knows you're still alive but please don't take any chances._

_I think it would be a good idea to tell Vernon as soon as possible. He's not a target more than any other muggle but he should know what to look for._

_Speaking of which, I'm sending you a list of known Death Eaters. I've attached photos of those I have pictures of and descriptions of those I don't. I'll stop by later this week to give you the same information about the Order of the Phoenix. You should know who you can trust in case something happens._

Age 1 ½, January

Petunia bit back a curse when she heard the doorbell ring. Harry let out a whimper and Dudley started to cry again. Petunia ignored the doorbell long enough to fasten Harry into the child's chair next to Dudley who was already strapped in. She then gently wiped the snot dripping from both their noses with a tissue and gave a moue at the wad before tossing it. Both of the boys were sick due to Judith Polkiss' blasted carelessness. She had been ecstatic when Judith had volunteered to watch Dudley and Harry so Petunia and Vernon could actually go out for dinner for Petunia's birthday. Judith had neglected to mention that her son Piers had been suffering from sniffles and wasn't feeling well. _She_ had escaped with only sniffles; _Petunia_, on the other hand, had to deal with two sick, fussy boys by herself due to Vernon being called in to deal with an emergency at work. He had promised to try to come home early to help her but until then, she just did not have the patience to deal with visitors. Seeing that the two boys were a little settled and no longer whining, Petunia left the kitchen to send the caller on their way.

She wasn't quite sure who she had been expecting to be standing on her front porch but it certainly was not someone she recognized from Lily's list of Phoenix members.

"Hello, may I help you?" she asked, hiding her recognition of the older woman.

"Well, I just moved in over on Wisteria Lane and thought I ought to introduce myself to my new neighbors. Might I come in?" The woman, whom Petunia identified as one Arabella Figg, squib, certainly looked the part of dotty old neighbor. She was clad in a slightly ill fitting bright orange and blue long coat with a yellow and lime green striped scarf. Her lightly graying hair was pulled up into a scraggly bun and tucked under a red knit hat. Petunia could feel the beginnings of a headache just from looking at her. Still, she rallied the manners her mother had instilled and stepped aside with a gesture.

"If you don't mind the fact that my son and nephew are both sick and I will be focused on them, you are welcome."

"Oh, the poor dears. In that case, I'll just take a moment of your time so you can stay focused on the two of them. Mine might be grown and gone but I remember how nerve wracking sick children can be." The woman bustled in, taking off her hat, scarf, and coat and folding them over her arm after Petunia closed the door behind her. Thankfully for Petunia's head, the dress she wore under her horrendous outer gear was much more sedate being a muted dark blue. Petunia reluctantly held out her hand for the coat.

"No dear, when I said just a moment, I meant it. My name is Arabella Figg." She quickly refused Petunia's offer. "I don't know what Lily had a chance to tell you but I am a member of the Order of the Phoenix, an organization dedicated to opposing Dark Lords and Ladies. Lily and James were as well."

"Yes, I know." Petunia interjected. She held herself stiffly in the doorway between the kitchen and the living room. She knew she had to let Arabella Figg finish what she came to say but the idea of anyone who followed Dumbledore being close to her family made her want to destroy something.

"Well, that makes it a little bit easier," Arabella continued, "I'll just skip to why I'm here. Dumbledore asked me to keep an eye on the neighborhood for any wizarding folk. He didn't think I needed to introduce myself but I thought you might feel better knowing that there is someone watching for any of the Death Eaters who paid their way to innocence. I'm not sure how any of them would find out about you but precautions must be taken. Anyway, I'm over on Wisteria Walk. Feel free to drop by if you need anything." Almost as quickly as she had come, Arabella had replaced her eye searing winter wear and was out the door, walking briskly down the street.

Petunia closed the door, collapsing against it. It was just as well that Arabella had left so quickly; if she hadn't, Petunia might have given voice to her first reaction at the mere suggestion of going to any of Dumbledore's mindless lemmings for aid. It was bad enough that one of them would be in the neighborhood though at least her eyes would be turned outward rather than towards Petunia's family. Well, there was nothing for it, Petunia would just have to keep her family as far away from Arabella Figg as possible. That way, if Dumbledore did start asking about Harry and the Dursleys, Arabella Figg would not have anything to report.

The sound of a whine from the kitchen drew her from her thoughts and she resolved to wait until she could discuss the ramifications with Vernon. It did her no good to stress over potential problems when she knew she was worked up from meeting one of his minions. For now, however, she had two sick children who deserved her undivided attention.

Age 4, June

Number 4, Privet Drive was alive with noise. Shrieks and laughter of children echoed down the street. The chatter of adults acted as a counterpoint to the children. Everyone in the neighborhood with children the appropriate age had been invited to Dudley's birthday party and many of the other neighbors were stopping by, ostensibly to wish Dudley a happy birthday, but in reality, to stay and gossip. This was assisted by the fact that Petunia wanted people to drop by to "chat" so had set up the party games in the front yard. Of course, the explanation she gave people was that she didn't want the children to worry about running over her new vegetable and herb garden.

Petunia glanced away from the children flailing along to the music Vernon was controlling to greet the newest arrivals. Dudley was horrible at musical statues but he loved playing it so she had promised that he would be able to have the game at his party.

It was only a few minutes later, she had quickly gotten absorbed in finding out what Mrs. Jenson had to say about her new neighbors, that she felt a small hand grip her skirt. Petunia looked down expecting to see Dudley and was startled to see Harry instead. She glanced over to check the status of the game. She was shocked to see that only about half the children had been eliminated; Harry was usually one of the last. Harry looked up at her slightly teary-eyed but silent.

"What's wrong, sweetie?" Petunia asked. Harry gave a slight shrug so she didn't press. Instead, she gave him a hug and left a hand on his head to stroke through his hair as she turned back to her conversation with Mrs. Jenson.

That evening, Vernon and Petunia had two exhausted little boys to put to bed. As they always did, Vernon took one boy while Petunia took the other. That evening, it was Harry that she was ushering to bed, giving him a gentle push to overcome his halfhearted protests.

"Harry, when did that happen?" Petunia asked shocked. As the little boy had turned to climb into bed, she had spotted bruises across the back of both legs as if he had been hit by a stick. She knew he hadn't had them yesterday; he had allowed her to help him get ready for bed that night as well instead of insisting that he was a big boy and didn't need any aid. She wracked her brain, trying to figure out how he could have gotten the bruises at the party but she had vetoed any game ideas put forth by Dudley that had involved anything stick-like; that Polkiss boy was already too violent for her liking.

Harry's face was a picture of indecision as he turned to sit on his bed. He pulled his knees up to his chest then winced and released his legs when pressure was put on the bruises.

"She said I'd ruin Dudley's birthday if I tattled," Harry whispered. The next words seemed to burst out of him. "And I'm not a baby and only babies tattled and I didn't want Dudley to hate me!"

"Oh Harry." Petunia knelt in front of him so she could look into his eyes. "Dudley would never hate you. Now tell me what happened." She did not want to voice the terrible suspicions that were beginning to take root.

"Aunt Marge." Harry continued when Petunia just gave an encouraging nod. "Before we started playing, Aunt Marge said I wasn't allowed to try to beat Dudley but he gets bad if he thinks that." Petunia did know; Dudley could throw an epic temper tantrum when he thought someone let him win.

Harry continued in a whisper, "She whacked me when we were frozen so I'd move and lose."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Petunia asked gently.

"She said it would ruin the party and Dudley would hate me." Harry's cheeks were flushed and his eyes slightly teary from his upset. "And last week, at the park, everybody teased Ben 'cause he kept tattlin' to his mum."

"Harry, she lied. And I would've stopped any teasing. Promise me you'll tell me if any one hits you again, alright?"

"I promise," was Harry's mumbled agreement.

"Now, you still need to go to bed and I need to speak to your Uncle Vernon." Petunia stood and tucked Harry gently under his dark blue covers, kissing his forehead and switching off his lamp. She carefully hid her towering rage as she left the room, closing the door with a soft click. Now, she had to go talk to Vernon about his bitch of a sister and the requirements that woman would have to meet if she ever wanted to even speak to the boys again, let alone visit. For that matter, she was tempted to report Marge to the authorities anyway. Petunia knew she'd have to talk to Vernon and calm down at least a little before they decided on any action but one way or another, Petunia knew she would make Marge Dursley pay for raising a hand to one of her boys.

* * *

Well, this took a lot longer than I planned and I have no excuse. Just so you know though, it would have been a lot longer except for the very kind people who fav'ed, wrote reviews, and add this onto their alerts. The little email notifications helped a lot in reminding me that there are people who are reading and liking this. On the positive side, I had to plan out the snapshots/ages so that I could post them in order which means the next two chapters (I ended up with more to cover than I had originally planned before the letter and Hogwarts). The other thing, I had a couple reviewers ask about Arabella Figg; I hope the first snapshot answered your questions.

And I'm sorry if the dividers haven't shown up. I've tried several times.


	5. Chapter 4

_Dearest Petunia,_

_I must be mad! That's the only logical explanation. You shall no doubt have to commit me. I know it will be hard for you having an insane sister but maybe I can be a scandalous secret like the wife in Jane Eyre. For that matter, any crazy relative of a well-to-do family a few hundred years ago._

_Oh dear, now I'm wondering what old pureblood families do with their crazy relatives._

_Anyway, the heart of the matter is, I agreed to go on a date with James Potter. Yes, that same James Potter who I've complained so vehemently about in the past._

_Like I said, I must be mad._

_Your loving (insane!) sister,_

_Lily_

HPHPHPHPHPHPHP

Age 5, Fall

Harry and Dudley exchanged looks of alarm when they were pulled aside a few minutes before class let out to be informed that Mrs. Dursley had called to say that Mrs. Polkiss would pick them up from school that day. They both knew how much the elder Dursleys detested Mrs. Polkiss for letting Piers run around so wild. They knew something had to be wrong.

Before they could terrify themselves with the possibilities, the bell rang and they had no choice but to grab their backpacks and be swept up in the mad rush out the door. They were quickly gathered up, along with Piers, by Mrs. Polkiss. As soon as Harry realized they weren't on the route back to the neighborhood, he interrupted Piers' pointless chatter.

"What's wrong with Aunt Petunia?"

"Nothing's wrong with Petunia, dear." Mrs. Polkiss gave a nervous little laugh.

"What's wrong with Dad?" Dudley took up the questioning.

"Vernon will be fine, dears," said Mrs. Polkiss in a fake cheery voice, the kind adults use when hiding things from young children. Most young children, of course, recognize it instantly. Harry saw the frightened look on Dudley's face and realized that he had to be wearing a similar expression.

"Uncle Vernon's not dying, is he?" Harry was barely able to voice his question.

"What?" Mrs. Polkiss screeched. "No, of course not!" Her tone was much more honest allowing Harry and Dudley to slightly relax. Tears sprang to his eyes and Dudley looked hurt when they caught the words she muttered under her breath next.

"Morbid little freaks."

They stayed silent for the rest of the drive.

HPHPHPHPHPHPHP

Petunia sat dazedly in the hard plastic chair in the hospital waiting room, her thoughts blank. Due to her distraction, she nearly levitated in surprise when two objects hurtled into her legs. It took her a moment to realize that those objects were her son and nephew who were now sobbing into her skirt. She barely caught a couple of the muffled words but they caused her to look up and glare and Judith Polkiss who was just then making her way over, dragging her rat-faced son with her.

"What on earth did you tell them? Why do they think Vernon might be dying?" Petunia knew the woman could be thoughtless but she hadn't believed her cruel.

"I certainly don't know how they got the idea; I told them he would be fine." Judith gave a dismissive sniff. "I certainly can't think why they would assume he was dying from that."

"I see." Petunia pried the boys off her then knelt to look them in the eyes. "Dudley, Harry, do you remember when Gordon fell off the monkey bars at school and had to go to the hospital because his arm hurt?" She waited for their nods before continuing. "Well, it's a little like that. Vernon's chest hurt so he came to the hospital to feel better." They both went limp with relief.

"Will he have a cast to sign like Gordon did?" Dudley was the first to recover.

"No, dear, he won't." As Petunia stood, she spotted the doctor who had been attending Vernon. She quickly turned to Mrs. Polkiss.

"Judith, if you wouldn't mind staying a few minutes more, could you watch the boys for a little bit so I can talk to the doctor?" Upon receiving a slightly begrudging assent, Petunia quickly turned and lifted the boys into her chair then made her way to the doctor.

"Ma'am, your husband is recovering just fine from his heart attack. Luckily for him, it was a mild one. Ma'am, please excuse my bluntness," the doctor paused a moment "your husband is almost morbidly obese and his blood pressure is just about through the roof. A stent will be put in to keep the particular passageway that caused this heart attack clear but that won't do a damn bit of good if his lifestyle stays the same. Stress can also play a large role in heart attacks and high blood pressure, so, if possible, make his recovery time at home as stress-free as possible."

Petunia nearly let loose a hysteria-tinged laugh. So Vernon's bitch of a sister could be held partially responsible for his hospitalization. They had reluctantly agreed to give her a second chance on the condition of intense counseling. Petunia had, at first, wanted to cut off a limb so Marge couldn't raise a hand to Harry in violence again but Vernon had persuaded her to refrain by pointing out that having an aunt in jail would hardly help Harry. Marge had agreed in order to keep contact with her "nephie-poo". Two months later they had allowed the first visit since confronting her.

It had been going well and both Vernon and Petunia had kept a close eye on her. Marge didn't even attempt to verbally degrade Harry's parents. Petunia had relaxed slightly, thinking that she wouldn't have to maim the woman after all.

She had relaxed too soon. Dudley had tripped, spilling a tiny bit of juice on Marge's dress. Before either she or Vernon could react, Marge had leapt to her feet, whirled on Harry and slapped him to the floor, yelling at him for tripping Dudley and ruining her dress. She had managed to get in a kick before Vernon had grabbed her and pulled her away.

Petunia's blood had run cold a mere second later when Marge had yelled to Ripper to attack. She had barely managed to catch his collar in time. Luckily, though Dudley had been upset and crying, he had not been hysterical so Petunia had been able to instruct him to call the police and an ambulance for Harry, who had been lying stunned on the floor.

Petunia still blessed and cursed their quick arrival. If she had had to listen to the vitriol pouring from Marge's mouth a minute longer, the police would have been greeted with a dead body. She was conflicted about whether that might have been better; removing the blight that was Marjorie Dursley from the face of the earth would certainly have made her feel better.

Marge's trial was coming up in a couple weeks. It had been delayed slightly when the investigation had revealed her treatment of the dogs she bred. Animal cruelty had been added to the charges she already faced and three of the dogs, including Ripper, had been put down due to their unmitigated viciousness. The rest had been handed over to various humane societies for careful retraining.

Petunia truly wanted to dig out Marge's heart with a rusty spoon.

"I'm afraid he has been under a great deal of stress," Petunia said after she was sure her voice would remain calm. "And the source of stress won't be resolved for at least another two weeks."

"I see." The doctor frowned in thought. "Well, just do the best you can. One of the nurses will give you a list of things to watch for before you leave. She'll also give you his prescriptions so you can have them filled before he's released. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have other patients to see."

Petunia quickly thanked him. As she approached where Judith waited with the three boys, she was relieved to see Harry and Dudley waiting quietly. She was happy to know that she wouldn't have to leave early to take them home.

"Thank you for staying, Judith. I can take it from here; I'm sure you have other things you'd rather be doing."

"Well, it wasn't any problem though since you don't need me anymore, I'd like to get this one home." Mrs. Polkiss smoothed her hand over Piers' hair. He made a face and ducked away. "Please call if you need me to watch them."

"Of course." Petunia waited until Judith left before turning to Harry and Dudley. "Now, Vernon is going to have to eat healthy and exercise. Will you two help me make sure he eats all his veggies and plays games outside with you?" She laughed as they promised and immediately started planning what games they could make him play.

* * *

I'm really sleepy and I think my allergy medicine is making me a little loopy right now so I am not responsible if these notes make no sense.

It's a little shorter than the previous chapter unfortunately but it's one snapshot instead of two. And the next one is written; I just need to type it up and edit. I was planning this one to be mostly from Harry's pov but Petunia hijacked it. And Vernon did the same in the next snapshot. The one after that, hopefully everyone will cooperate and it will be more from Harry.

Speaking of which, I'm curious to know what house ya'll think Harry will end up in? I haven't decided yet so there is a chance to influence me.

Oh, and just in case, I figure that Harry and Dudley would be a little more familiar than most five year old to the concept of death what with Harry being an orphan. So that's why they went so quickly from something's wrong to w ho's dying.

And now I'm rambling so I'll quit now.


	6. Chapter 5

_Lils,_

_I'm so happy for you, though I think it's almost obscene how long it took James to propose – I thought Gryffindors were supposed to have courage! Well, I suppose this at least shows he has the sense to realize marriage is the biggest decision of one's life. Or maybe he thought he'd have to persuade you like when he first wanted to date you. Did he really ask "you will? You'll actually marry me?" when you said yes? I really can't believe him. _

_So when's the wedding? And how are we going to arrange it so I can attend? I refuse to let my little sister get married without being there but we can't undo all the hard work you've done to make sure everyone thinks your entire family is dead. Maybe James can think of something? Present it as a prank on all the other guests and I'm sure he'll devise something._

* * *

Age 7

Harry panted as he desperately drew air into his lungs. He was scared; he had seen what Piers Polkiss did to other kids when Piers knew he wouldn't get caught. More importantly, he'd seen what Piers' gang could do. Normally, Harry was never targeted; the gang was more than a little intimidated by Dudley's size and strength but he had been home sick for the past three days and Harry made a tempting target as someone they normally wouldn't touch.

Harry skidded around the corner of the school and came to an abrupt stop a few steps later. The normal path past the dumpsters was blocked off by boxes from some class' enterprising endeavor. He was trapped! He could hear the thudding steps of Piers and his gang getting closer. Fear gripped his chest. If he could only find a hiding place or a path through the boxes, he might be safe.

Just when he was sure Piers would come tearing past the corner, the pressure around his chest increased exponentially. The next moment, he was staring at roof tops and trees instead of building walls. A quick look down proved that he was no longer in the little alleyway. He gaped down at his feet which were firmly planted on the school roof. A whimper escaped him. He was in so much trouble now!

HPHPHPHPHPHPHP

Later that afternoon, Vernon arrived at school to pick up Harry. The past three days, Harry had run to the car, eager to get home, check on Dudley and inform him of what he had missed. Therefore, Vernon was quite surprised when Harry was one of the last students out. His surprise changed to worry when he saw how Harry looked.

Harry was walking slowly to the car, looking dejected. His shoulders were slumped and he didn't raise his eyes from his feet. His book bag dragged on the ground behind him, hitting his heels with slow, rhythmic thumps. His scuffed clothes only enhanced the picture of abject misery he presented.

Vernon wasn't able to see Harry's eyes until he finally climbed into the car and looked up. Harry's eyes were red-rimmed from tears. He sniffled. Vernon tried to keep the alarm from his face but knew he failed. He wished Petunia was here instead; his first attempt to comfort was usually a couple of awkward pats on their shoulder while saying 'there, there' and that seemed to act as a signal to start wailing.

"I got su'pended," Harry mumbled before Vernon could ask anything.

"What!" Vernon burst out before clenching his hands around the steering wheel in an attempt to restrain himself. "Please explain what happened," he continued in a much calmer voice.

"At recess," Harry's voice trembled slightly, "Piers and his gang were chasing me and I got trapped in a corner cuz of some boxes and I was really scared and then I was on the roof." Harry trailed off.

"And where were the teachers?" Though Vernon's voice stayed calm, his knuckles were turning white with the force of his grip and the slightest hint of red was creeping up his neck.

"Piers got them after he saw me on the roof. They were really angry."

Vernon opened his mouth to speak, paused, shook his head, then continued, "No, I meant before. Why didn't you go to the teachers as soon as Piers started chasing you?"

"I did." At Vernon's encouraging nod, Harry elaborated, "Soon as Piers said he was gonna flatten me cuz Dudley wasn't here to stop him, I ran to the teachers. They didn't see me at first. They were saying how Mr. Sterling from 6th grade and Mrs. Butters from 1st grade were doing it and they knew cuz Ms Alistair from 3rd walked in on them in the teachers' lounge. She fainted. When I asked them what 'it' was, they yelled at me and told me to go away and stop being nosy. But I didn't mean to be nosy! It's just, Piers wouldn't try to beat me up if I was near the teachers!" Harry had calmed during the telling but at the end, he was visibly upset again.

"Calm down Harry, I understand." Vernon had to fight to keep his voice even. "Now, I'm going to park the car, we're going to go in, and I'll talk to the principal about what happened."

HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP

It was a very sheepish Vernon and a stunned Harry who greeted Petunia and Dudley that evening. Petunia was instantly suspicious. Vernon quickly interrupted her impending interrogation.

"We'll need to have a family meeting after dinner," Vernon stated. "I've done something that should have been done only after talking with you but I think I was right to do so. If you can restrain you curiosity until after dinner, Petunia, I think it best to discuss without the interruption of growling stomachs."

"Very well." Petunia reigned herself in. "You will make your confession one half hour after dinner and not a minute later. You and Harry will tend to Dudley while I make said dinner. It will be ready in forty-five minutes." With that, Petunia stiffly stood up from Dudley's bed and swept regally from the room.

Dudley gave a snigger from the bed. "I think you made her mad, Dad."

Vernon took Petunia's place on the bed and hoisted Harry up into his lap. "I think you might be right." He paused. "Er, Dudley, how much do you like your school?"

Beyond that one question, Vernon allowed Harry to dominate the conversation with Dudley and dominate he did. He switched topics so quickly Vernon could barely keep up with the conversation though it was only Dudley's sore throat that kept him from matching Harry.

It did not take long for Petunia to call them for dinner. There, they kept to safe topics – how Harry did on his latest test, what Dudley had done with Petunia when not sleeping, how the training of the temps in Vernon's office were progressing. They stayed silent on anything that could spark an argument or cause indigestion. In this manner, they calmly ate dinner.

When dinner was finished, Petunia escorted the boys to the living room couches, securely tucking Dudley's blankets around him, and settled herself between them. While they both had good reading skills, neither of them was quite up to reading "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" themselves. This also had the advantage of keeping them occupied so Vernon could clean up the dishes before they had their family talk.

They had just rescued Edmund from the White Witch and her forces when Vernon entered and sat in the chair nearest the couch. His expression was a little like a young boy's when expecting a scolding. He placed some papers face down on the end table next to him.

"Well, it looks like we'll have to finish reuniting the Pevensies later. Right now, we have to find out what exactly Vernon has done this time." Petunia quickly placed the bookmark before closing the book and setting it aside.

"Did you know Harry was bullied?" Vernon started abruptly.

"What! No!" Petunia looked down at Harry in alarm trying to spot any injuries. "Sweetie, why didn't you tell us?"

Harry looked down and gave a minute shrug. "They don't go after me when Dudley's there. He's bigger than they are and they're scared of him."

"Today, apparently," Vernon took over, "they decided that since Dudley's been out sick, Harry was a good target. He ran, they chased and he ended up trapped. Then, I assume because of his panic, his magic popped him up to the roof."

"It was so weird!" Harry interrupted, bouncing slightly. "It felt like I was getting squeezed and pulled and stretched all at the same time!" Petunia stayed silent but her arms around Harry and Dudley tightened and her face gained a slight greenish tinge.

"Piers – yes that Piers Polkiss," Vernon said in response to Petunia's gasp. "Anyway, Piers apparently decided that getting Harry in trouble would be just as much fun as beating him up, ran and got the teachers. Since the teachers were annoyed with Harry-"

"Why? Harry, did you do something naughty earlier?" Petunia interrupted. Harry opened his mouth to respond.

"I'll explain in just a moment," Vernon interjected. "Anyway, since they were annoyed, they listened to and believed Piers instead of Harry. Petunia, they suspended him." He braced himself for her outburst.

"Wh… How… How dare they!" Petunia was almost incoherent with rage.

"It gets worse," Vernon continued when it looked like Petunia was too incensed to do more than sputter. "The reason they were unhappy with Harry was because he stayed near them at the beginning of recess and overheard them gossiping! They were too busy talking about which teachers were fu–" Vernon hastily stopped before glancing at the two wide-eyed little boys staring at him. "Er, that's to say, having, um, relations with each other," he said in a much quieter voice. "They sent him away because he was 'nosy'."

"Do you mean to tell me that my nephew was suspended because the teachers are incompetent busybodies?" Petunia's voice was dangerously soft and her eyes blazed with a righteous fury.

"The headmaster upheld their decision."

"I see." Petunia's voice became even softer. Vernon shivered; in all the years he had known Petunia he had only seen her remotely this angry once and his former sister was lucky that she was not getting out of prison for a very long time and so remained out of Petunia's reach.

"And what did you do, Vernon?"

"I immediately withdrew them both. These papers," he gestured to the stack of papers on the table, "are their school records." Vernon relaxed slightly at her approving nod. He was quite glad that her anger was not directed at him in the slightest; that would have resulted in uncomfortable nights on the couch and dinners of his least favorite foods – of course, that was better than what she would do to any other fool who roused her anger.

"Good," Petunia said emphatically. "We'll need to start researching private schools in the area immediately.

HPHPHPHPHPHP

By the end of the month, Harry and Dudley were happily settled in a new school while Petunia and Vernon were quite satisfied at the sight of a newspaper article discussing unexpected firings at a local primary school. Within the article was mentioned that a small group of students were required to go to counseling as one showed sociopathic tendencies and the others inclinations toward criminal activity. They were also pleased that they did not have to contact the Obliviators. It was widely assumed that, due to his panic, Harry did not remember climbing the boxes to reach the roof.

* * *

Oopsy! I thought I was a chapter ahead of what I actually was. This chapter has been completely except for typing up the last section (which I hadn't realized I hadn't typed up) for the past couple of months and since I post as soon as I finish a chapter…

And I've been fighting with the next chapter. Right now, it's just a lot of talking and sort of an info dump which on the one hand is kinda necessary but on the other is kinda overwhelming/boring.

Oh, and I've had a couple reviews asking why doesn't Harry have diaries from Lily and James and he should already be learning (and excelling in) magic – specifically potions – and the Potters should have left him trunks of stuff. This is not that kind of fic! There are plenty of fics out there like that, go find them, I'm trying for something different. First of all, how many adults do you know that actually keep a diary (and I'm not talking about an online journal, I'm talking an actual handwritten [private!] diary). Even if one of them did, how the heck would Petunia get a hold of it? Also, Lily and James were not expecting to die, in fact, they were doing their damnedest to avoid that outcome. They certainly wouldn't expect Voldemort to kill them both but fail to kill Harry. As for Harry excelling in magic (I got these reviews on the chapter where he's five just for reference) how exactly would he learn magic? There is no indication that any of the pureblood students knew anything more than the basics and that's not even considering that he is living in a MUGGLE household in a MUGGLE neighborhood! Yes the Dursleys have some contact with the magical world but for the most part, they are living an entirely Muggle life except for their knowledge of the magical world. I welcome suggestions and comments about what you want to see but if you're basically asking me to change my fic into something that you can find dozens of after a half-hearted search on , please don't waste your time. I may be fairly confident in my writing but not so much so that I think I could write a fic like that that wouldn't be so clichéd as to be laughable.

And now I'll stop before the AN is longer than the chapter.

Oh, one last thing. I have a oneshot posted to my dreamwidth account. It's on ffnet somewhere on the account of one of the people who is organizing it but I can't remember her ffnet name at the moment. The dreamwidth posting vessamorana. dreamwidth. org /3543. ATTENTION: IT IS SLASH! It's not explicit or anything but it is slash so if you don't like slash, you'll be wasting your time if you read it.


	7. Chapter 6

_Lily!_

_You're going to be an aunt! I don't know yet whether it will be a niece or a nephew for you though. Vernon said he's hoping for a girl with my eyes, the great sap._

_Poor man, he's been trying to help me out around the house because of my morning sickness. He's a sweetie but I have to admit I wish he wouldn't try quite so hard. I don't need to deal with food poisoning on top of everything else._

_Speaking of which, I smell something burning in the kitchen. I'll write more soon._

_Love,_

_Petunia_

Age 10

It was only a few weeks after Harry's 10th birthday that Aunt Petunia informed him that she and Uncle Vernon had decided he was old enough to learn more about his parents. Petunia sounded calm but Harry could tell she was quite upset by the way her lips pinched together and her hands trembled just the slightest bit. When she turned down the hall and descended the stairs, Harry followed, half excited about the coming conversation and half dreading it.

He paused at the foot of the stairs. Vernon and Dudley were already seated on one of the couches. Dudley held a book in his hands but was obviously not reading, instead staring into space, his eyes unfocused. Vernon was not much better. He fidgeted, leaning forward to straighten the newspaper on the table, crossing and uncrossing his legs, picking up his glass of water but putting it back down without taking a sip. Both of them snapped to attention when Petunia sat down on the couch catty-corner to theirs. That left the spot between Petunia and Vernon for Harry. Harry dragged his feet only slightly as he went to join them.

"First, a refresher." Harry watched as Aunt Petunia visibly gathered her thoughts. "We've told you about the Magical World and how your mum was a witch and your dad a wizard. You know the Magical World has prejudice about blood purity like the rest of the world has prejudice about race and religion. You know there was a war and Lily and James fought and died in it."

She paused again. Harry stayed quiet. He couldn't remember a time he hadn't known his parents had been murdered. When he was little, Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon had left it at Lily and James stopping bad people gradually giving more detail as he grew old enough to ask. They believed that if Harry was old enough to ask, he was old enough to hear the answer even if the details were carefully edited to be age appropriate.

Harry glanced at Dudley who sat stone still as if riveted to the couch. Dudley wanted stories about Lily, James and the Magical World almost as much as Harry. They all knew that Dudley wasn't magical; every magical incident had clearly been due to Harry's emotional turmoil. But it was magic and family. Neither Harry nor Dudley would admit it to Vernon or Petunia but they both felt the lack of close family (Marge didn't count because she was a "Bad Person"). So they eagerly gathered all the stories offered about Lily and James, childhood events, and grandparents on all sides of the family to trot out, carefully edited of magic, of course, when other children at their school started bragging about various family members.

"Well," Vernon picked up the narrations, unaware of Harry and Dudley's thoughts, "a man called Voldemort styled himself a lord and led those who were radical blood purists, known as Death Eaters." Both Harry and Dudley were slightly wide-eyed at hearing Death Eater; it sounded like the kind of name they would expect from a spoof or a fantasy movie that took itself too seriously, inadvertently turning into a bad comedy. They had no desire to laugh though, knowing that these people were real and had killed.

"Those fanatical blood purists are smaller in number but powerful politically and rich, very rich. They could and did control the Magical World's government and ignored the British crown as inferior rather than over the Minister of Magic. I'm sure you've learned in school that many of the royal executive powers are delegated to the prime minister and other government officials. This is _not_ true of the Magical World. The royal powers have never been delegated to magical officials. Unfortunately, we haven't been able to find out much information about why the Magical government is operating so separately from the Crown. Our only current guess is that most of the Lords that make up the Wizengamot – the Magical World's version of the House of Lords, don't swear a magically binding oath of loyalty to Crown and Country. I'm sorry, I'm getting off track.

"Anyway, Lily and James joined an organization run by a man named Albus Dumbledore despite their jobs as a researcher and an auror." Petunia spoke up again. "Just so you know, Harry, Dumbledore is also the headmaster of Hogwarts. Anyway, sometime later, I don't know when precisely, Dumbledore claims to have heard a prophecy. At least part was either overheard by or leaked to a spy so the two families it was believed the prophecy might apply to went into hiding." Petunia stopped to blot her teary eyes with her handkerchief and Vernon took over again.

"Peter Pettigrew, one of their supposed friends, betrayed them, led Voldemort right to them! No one is quite sure what happened at this point. James was found in the front room. He probably sacrificed himself to give Lily the chance to escape with you. Lily was found in the nursery. A pile of robes almost certainly belonging to Voldemort was found near the doorway. You, Harry, were found alive in your crib with only a scar from Voldemort's murder attempt." At Vernon's last words, Harry's hand flew up to his forehead; he had known that he had gotten his scar the night his parents were killed but he hadn't realized it was from surviving his own attempted murder.

"No one knows what happened to Voldemort." Petunia had brought herself under control so spoke up again. "Most people believe he's dead and I can't blame them for wanting to believe that. But there wasn't a body and Voldemort dove deep into the Dark Arts from what Lily told me. It is possible that he's alive, hiding and recuperating." She paused to give Harry's hand a comforting squeeze. "Harry, understand that we don't want to scare you but you have to know, you're famous in the Magical World. Some people will want to use and control you while others, especially the blood purists, will want to kill you. Vernon and I tried to think of a way to avoid all of that but you'll be going to Hogwarts in a year. We couldn't wait till then to tell you this." She gave a choked up laugh. "If I could have, I would have waited decades longer. But this way at least, you'll have time to adjust."

Everyone was silent; Harry and Dudley tried to absorb the new information while Vernon and Petunia tried to recover their emotions. After a few minutes of contemplation, Dudley spoke up.

"What happened to Peter Pettigrew?"

"Ah," Vernon grimaced. "Yes he was killed. Harry, your godfather, a man named Sirius Black, hunted him down and killed him because of the betrayal."

"My godfather? Why didn't I know I had a godfather?" Harry interrupted.

"Because we didn't tell you, sweetie," Petunia answered calmly, carding her fingers through his hair. "You see, from what little I know of him, Sirius Black was incredibly single-minded. He'd get focused on one goal to the exclusion of all else. He was so focused on Peter Pettigrew that he killed 12 other people in the explosion he caused to get Pettigrew. He's in prison."

"Oh." Harry's voice was small and he hunched deeper into Petunia's side.

"How did I survive?" Harry had a puzzled frown on his face as he pushed away the issue of his grandfather. "I mean, you did say no one knew what happened but how did I live but Mum and Dad didn't?"

"You're right, we did say that. The Magical World attributes it to something I did."

"But I was a baby!" Harry was shocked and Dudley actually laughed in disbelief.

"Precisely! Fools, the lot of them," Vernon grumbled.

"Vernon, now is not the time," Petunia said sharply and he subsided. "Yes, you were a baby and while you are a very special kid, it is highly unlikely that you had anything to do with Voldemort's defeat. Lily was very intelligent and had excellent research skills. She had already gotten a great deal of research done on ancient druidic rituals. She hoped to have enough time while hiding to finalize and implement them. I can only guess that she was able to do so for you but for some reason could not to the same for James and herself. She sent a copy of her research to me and I believe I've been able to fill in some holes but we don't have the resources to do much more. I've only been able to use her old school books and a few other random books that she had forgotten at our parent's house." She paused, then continued slowly. "When you go to Hogwarts, you may take a copy if you promise not to show anyone. Your formal re-entry into the Magical World will allow me to get more legal books concerning governance of purely magical matters without arousing suspicion from any watchers. Lily may not have cared about the legality of any of the rituals she researched but we must."

"What do you mean? And why didn't Aunt Lily care?" Dudley spoke up that time. He, like Harry had with Petunia, had gradually burrowed into Vernon's side.

"Wartime," Vernon said gruffly. "Things that would be condemned in peacetime are always excused in wartime, especially when they work. With the Potter name behind her, Lily would be able to excuse almost anything as efforts against Voldemort. That's if she was even ever accused of breaking some law. As for why we have to be so much more careful, Harry's magical but the rest of us aren't. The Magical World goes nuts at the idea of any of the so called muggles even knowing about magic. If they found out that non-magicals, even ones who already knew about the Magical World, were researching rituals and spells… Well, I don't care to think of the possibilities. So, we have to know every bit of law concerning what relatives of magicals are allowed or forbidden to do. If we can spout out chapter and verse of their own laws and stay within those laws, we're a lot safer than if we just dive in headfirst.

"And to head off your next question, we're waiting until Harry goes off to school because there are people intensely interested in his life and not in a good way. By waiting, we can disguise much of our buying research materials in with buying school supplies."

"Oh," Dudley murmured. "I guess that makes sense."

"Now," Petunia said quickly, "I know you both probably have several more questions but you've got a lot of information to process and I don't want to give you too much. So, I want you two to think about it, figure out your questions, and ask them tomorrow. Go ahead and get ready for bed." She held up a finger to stop Harry and Dudley's protests before they were even completely verbalized. "I know it's early but I think routine would be good to calm you both down. Also, I'm not saying go to bed, just get ready. Vernon and I will be up for quite awhile more and you are welcome to come back down once you're done."

"Aunt Petunia," Harry started hesitantly, "can Dudley sleep in my room tonight?"

After a quick glance at Dudley, Petunia agreed. "Very well, I'll set up a second bed if you both promise to actually sleep sometime tonight."

With their promises secure, Petunia and Vernon chivied the boys upstairs. When they heard doors shut, and running water, Petunia fell into Vernon's comforting embrace.

"Oh Petunia, they're much too young!"

"I know, Vernon."

* * *

This chapter just would not come. I had to rewrite it several times. Still not completely happy with it but it's loads better than it was.

As I'm sure most of you have been able to guess, I am American, not British. That means I don't know all that much detail about the British government and its workings. My main source is Wikipedia and we all know how unreliable that can be. If you see me get something wrong on the muggle side of things, feel free to correct me. If I get something wrong on the magical side of things, again feel free to point it out but I'll probably claim artistic license… unless of course, the correction fits better with my vague plans.

Oh, and speaking of artistic license, I'm viewing the Wizengamot as a sort of combined judiciary court of law and the Parliament's House of Lords. There's no House of Commons (after all a muggleborn might be elected – the horror!). Again playing fast and loose with facts and canon, I'm working on the premise that the Magical World was under the British monarchy way back before the Statute of Secrecy and stayed under the monarchy when the Statute was put in place.

In future chapters, I'll try to have more interesting data dumps instead of people just sitting around talking.

And for those who asked, Harry will not meet Hermione until the train or Hogwarts.

Next time: Hogwarts letter!

(And Silwed, I know I owe you several emails)


End file.
